It's been hailed as the greatest trick play in college football history. Even Seminole fans who weren't born yet look back in awe at the audacity of Bobby Bowden for calling it, and dramatic performances by Dayne Williams and Leroy Butler who carried out the trickeration.

With FSU in punt formation, Williams, lines up as a blocker, takes the snap instead of the punter and hides it between his legs. The sneaky Butler grabs the football and takes off on a 78-yard run. Too bad Leroy slows down (maybe breathless from the excitement) and is pushed out of bounds just shy of the goal line. With time running out, Richie Andrews kicked a 19-yard field goal and the Noles won a 24-21 nailbiter.

Somewhat lost in the hoopla of the famed "Puntrooskie"is this spectacular 3rd Qtr. punt return by Deion Sanders. Legend has it that Deion -- who epitomized the swagger of the era -- pulled a Babe Ruth while waiting to field the punt. Much like Ruth pointed his bat at the bleachers where he planned to knock the next pitch, Sanders gestured downfield toward the goal line while reportedly yelling to the Clemson bench, "This one's coming back." He was a man of his word.

Florida State's longest tenured coach made his debut at Doak in 1985 as a 210-lb. linebacker from Bartow. Four years later he was a multiple All-American as a 268-lb. nose guard terror.

During the Noles 2013 Media Day, Haggins talked about his decades on the job and why he's stayed. But first he answered questions about the mix of youngsters and vets he coaches on the D-Line, how they're adapting to Jeremy Pruitt's new take-no-prisoners scheme, and the challenge of trying to corral Jameis Winston and Jacob Coker in practice.

The Noles were primed (pun intended) for a big season in 1988. Loaded with playmakers like Prime Time, Sammy Smith, Ronald Lewis, Edgar Bennett, Leroy Butler and Dexter Carter, FSU had the Canes in the cross hairs. It was to be a signature win in a nasty rivalry, at the Orange Bowl, and on national TV. Nole players were so jacked they produced a now infamous video that included lyrics like, "Our code is simple, We're the best in the land."

Famous last words. It was all Miami, 31-0.

Fans on both sides say it was the over-the-top swagger of the rap that fired up UM. Another take is that FSU went into the game far too over-confident. Now Dexter Carter has a new perspective that we haven't heard before, as he explains in this short clip from our recent interview.

If you were at Doak in 1987, or glued to the annual TV Game of the Century that was FSU - Miami, then you recall the heart stopping finish. Ronald Lewis caught a TD in the back of the end zone, just a hair from the end line, to bring the Noles to within one point. Then, with 42 seconds left, Bobby Bowden rolled the dice. Forget the dadgum extra point. It was win the game and a possible national championship on a two-point conversion attempt.

That's where Pat Carter played his biggest role as an FSU tight end. Pat went on to have a decade-long NFL career, followed by a coaching gig at Detroit. But among his biggest football regrets is the two-point pass play that he never laid a single finger on. He joined us recently to look back at the highlights and lowlights of his Seminole career.

What would you consider your biggest win at FSU?

"I guess to me it would have to be the Florida game my senior year, just for the simple fact that we finally got one after losing the first three. I knew if I didn't get this one I was going to be shut out. And I just didn't want that to happen."

Talk about a game that probably isn't your favorite -- the '87 game against MIami?

"That was a tough one. We just didn't close it. We had the game and we didn't take care of our business as we should have. And we lost to a really good team. Now they weren't a better team. And it's funny, every time I saw Coach Bowden he said that the '87 team was his best team. And we didn't even win it. But Miami was the only one we lost."

It came down to the two point conversion and the pass to you in the end zone, which was just a little short.

"Yeah, it was short. It was supposed to go to the back corner pylon. And when I looked up I saw the ball was short. I wish I just could've been able to make a play back there -- maybe just tipped it up to myself. But unfortunately it fell short. And the Miami players, they always like to make the claim they were in the right position. But if Danny (McManus) had thrown that to the back pylon, they would've been done. That's one of the plays we always practiced, and it's unfortunate we didn't execute it."

Was there a debate on the sidelines about whether to go for two or not?

College Football News named him one of the 10 greatest playmakers of all-time. He set an FSU record with 21 interceptions over three years, including 12 picks in '91 when he won the Thorpe Award. And he still holds the NCAA Record for Most Career Interception Return Yards (501)

But for FSU fans in the late 80's, Terrell Buckley (1989-91) is best remembered for a single play. Fielding a punt against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, he tucked the ball under his arm and took a casual step or two towards the bench. Defenders slowed down. Obviously Buckley had signaled for a fair catch.

NOT. T-Buck suddenly burst down the middle of the field, picked up a key block and raced 69 yards to paydirt. The crafty move shocked everybody in the Dome -- even his coaches.

"I wish I could have thought that up," chuckled Bobby Bowden, who promptly dubbed Buckley "The Foola from Pascagoula."

Here's how that unforgettable punt return sounded if you were listening to the play-by-play in October of 1989.

Blowouts are rare in the big time FSU - UM rivalry. But the Noles notched one in 1984 against the reigning National Champs (Miami's first after beating Nebraska). The final was 38 - 3 and the win was sealed on the third play of the second half when Jessie Hester took a pitchout 77 yards. The fact this clip is from the Hurricane network seems to make Hester's gamebreaking run even sweeter.

To help you get pumped for the 2007 season, we flashback 27 years. Back to what many believe was the signature win in FSU football. It was October 4, 1980, when the upstart Noles went into the "sea of red" at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium and knocked off the number three Cornhuskers (an ESPN Top 100 Moment in College Football).

These play-by-play highlights feature a youthful-sounding Gene Deckerhoff, with color commentary by legendary Coach Bill Peterson. And though it's been nearly 30 years, don't be surprised if the the nail-biting finish keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Dan Marino of Canadian Football is retiring. After 17 years north of the border, Former FSU QB Danny McManus ('85-'87) is quitting while he's ahead — way ahead.

McManus has piled up passing stats that may never be equalled in the history of the CFL, or any league for that matter. If he were in the NFL, his 53,255 career yards would be surpassed by only Marino and Farve.

Different leagues, greater degree of difficulty, you say? Maybe. But any QB who throws for 30-plus miles with three downs instead of four, and in below freezing weather on icy fields, deserves more than just having his jersey retired.

Though Danny won't be suiting up this season, he'll still be making the rounds of CFL stadiums as an analyst on league telecasts.

"I've been playing football for more than 25 years," said McManus. "I've loved every minute of my time in the CFL. Football is in my blood and I look forward to the next phase of my career as an analyst on TSN."

Read more about Danny's career, along with his comments, in this story from the Calgary Herald.

Add another former FSU player to the growing list of coaches making a name for themselves.Dedrick Dodge ('86 - '89) recently resigned as head coach of Victory Christian, a 1-B high school in Lakeland, to become defensive coordinator at Fort Valley State, a Division II school in Georgia.

In 2005, Dodge led Lakeland's Evangel Christian to an 11-3 record and the 1-B state championship. When Evangel ended its program, Dodge and most of his players moved to Victory Christian where they hardly skipped a beat. This year Dodge guided The Storm to a 10-4 mark and the 1-B title game, where they lost to FAMU High. He also had four players earn spots on the 1-B All-State first team.

Before he moved into coaching, the 39-year old Dodge played eight years in the NFL (for Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and San Diego), with two Super Bowl rings to show for it.

Dodge's new boss at Ft. Valley is another former Nole, Deondri Clark ('89-'92). Clark (pictured right) came to Fort Valley State last year after a successful stint at Shaw University in North Carolina. During three years at Shaw, Clark was 22-10, won a CIAA Championship and beat Tuskegee in the Pioneer Bowl.

Dodge is already recruiting for Ft. Valley, while packing for the move to middle Georgia. He took time out to talk about his playing days and coaching career.

G&G:That's quite a leap, going from Florida's lowest high school classification to a college program.Dodge: "I was coaching at 1-B because I wanted to coach at 1-B, not because I had to. I'd turned down graduate assistant jobs and different things. I just like coaching kids. Just because a player plays in 1-B or a coach coaches in 1-B, doesn't mean they can't excel at a higher level. And when this opportunity came along, I thought it was a good chance for me to get some college experience and hopefully one day move up to the college D1 level, which is a goal of mine."

G&G:Talk about what you learned from Coach Andrews.Dodge: "Coach Andrews has given me a lot. I've just taken what he's given me and a few other things I've picked up along the way, and try to mold a player to be the best they can be. So they have a chance to go the next level, whether that's from high school to college, or from college having the chance to play in the NFL.

"In my time, Coach Andrews was younger — but he might have been a little more feisty. We had so many great coaches that we all just fed off each other. We all also lived together (in the same complex). Now with kids spread out all over Tallahassee, you don't have that continuity you used to have."

G&G:Do you stay in contact with Coach Andrews?Dodge: "I go up there periodically, especially during the summer, and talk with them and stuff. You know, with great coaches, I like to sit down with them and pick their brains. Find out what they do."

G&G:How much is your coaching based on what you learned at FSU?Dodge: "I tell kids, 'This is how we did it at Florida State.' I still refer back to Coach Andrews, always. He taught me everything. Every drill, every instinctive thing that we needed to know, I learned from Coach Andrews. Only thing I learned when I went to the NFL was different defenses. And the game was faster. But all the fundamentals and techniques? Coach Andrews had us ready."

G&G:Obviously, the FSU connection was key in being offered the job at Ft. Valley State.Dodge: "Deondri Clark offered me the defensive back coaching job a few years ago, but I wasn't able to take it at the time. I'm in a little better shape now to make the move. I used to help him when he was at FSU. I was kind of a mentor to him then, and I think he never forgot that. I'm a protege of Coach Andrews and so is he. Everything he wants to do is predicated on what Bobby Bowden and Coach Andrews have taught us. And he wants more guys like that around him, because we're cut from the same cloth."

G&G:Is your NFL experience a big plus in coaching and recruiting kids?
Dodge: "How impressive is it for a kid to have somebody who's played against Jerry Rice and other great receivers? That's played with Deion Sanders? I just came back from a big recruiting day at Ft. Valley, and I wore both of my Super Bowl rings. I told them, 'You want to get this jewelry? You want to know what it takes and how to prepare?' So they look at us a little differently because we've been there."

G&G:Will the new FSU coaching staff return the program to its glory days?Dodge: "I think they're gonna turn it around. The offense has struggled some, and sometimes the defense just gets worn down. And I think that's what happened to them a little bit."

G&G:Is it a goal of yours to someday return to FSU as a coach, like former teammates Lawrence Dawsey and Dexter Carter?Dodge: "That's always the goal. You just try to get yourself prepared and put yourself in the position that if the opportunity ever arose like that, of course you'll take it. Everybody always wants to go home. Florida State will always be my home, and I'll always bleed Garnet and Gold."

For the first time in 24 years, Rick Stockstill's business card doesn't say Assistant Coach. It now reads Head Football Coach, thank you. Though everybody at Middle Tennessee State — from student trainer to school President — believes "Savior" might be more appropriate after five losing seasons.

But long before he became known as an offensive whiz and recruiting genius, Rick led FSU to signature wins against Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Dan Marino (beating Pitt when Dan was a sophomore).

What are his memories of those landmark games in 1980 and '81? How does he compare Coach Bowden with Steve Spurrier, for whom he coached in 2005? And is the goal of someday succeeding Bowden the top rung on his career ladder?

Rick answers those questions and many more in our latest Garnet and Great feature.

Doak Weather

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